The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student

'Let’s sort out the situation.'

Leo, having left the Graveyard of the Vanquished, fell deep into thought.

'First. This country is being threatened by the Justice Guild, and those bastards are looking for the Nether Knight’s tomb.'

According to Crown Prince Jeremin, it was absolutely clear that the Justice Guild was the one robbing the heroes’ tombs.

'Second. The Archduke of Funeral is raising Orphan Soldiers in this country.'

That was the real problem.

'Is there no connection between the hero tomb robberies and the Archduke of Funeral?'

The current Death King did not possess the divine authority to resurrect a hero who had wielded immense power while alive.

Erebos’s divine authority had been mighty when he was alive, but not anymore.

'But the Fragment of Erebos that the Death King may possess makes it hard to completely rule it out.'

Before summer break,

the Death King, who had come to Lumene to confirm his own existence, had used a faint spark of Erebos’s flame.

'He may not be able to resurrect the fragment, but he might be able to use it to a degree that lets him wield the divine authority from his prime.'

If that were the case, then raising a hero as a Corpse would not be impossible.

And if that were true, it would be the worst-case scenario.

'In any case, I need information.'

Leo arrived at a nearby forest.

Sitting on a stump from a felled tree, Leo pulled a small potion bottle from his pocket.

Then he poured the sky-blue liquid onto the ground.

The liquid wriggled across the earth, then soon crackled and froze, turning into something like a mirror.

And from it, an elf appeared.

[Did you call for me, O great God of Shadows?]

The one greeting Leo politely was Algren, the Master of the Northern Magic Tower.

Before becoming the Master of the Northern Magic Tower, he had also been an Elven Shadow Lord.

Leo looked at Algren and said,

“I need a little help.”

[Yes. I will make preparations at once and send someone.]

“What?”

With those words, the communication with Algren ended without any further exchange.

Communication Magic left traces.

A mage specializing in Communication Magic could use those traces to eavesdrop.

But this magic created by Algren left no trace of magical power whatsoever.

It was the perfect magic for the Shadows, who could not afford to leave behind any trail.

The downside was that the connection time was short.

'That’s why I was only going to briefly tell him what I needed. To think he’d send someone without even asking about the situation.'

Leo wore a puzzled expression.

'Does that mean he’s already aware of what’s happening in the northeastern part of the continent?'

The base of the Elven Shadows was in the north of the continent.

And this place was in the northeast.

Since they operated in the shadows, there was no way Algren would be ignorant of this matter.

'Well, he said he’s sending someone, so I guess he’ll contact me once they’re ready.'

And exactly one hour later,

Algren had not only finished preparing, he had already sent a Shadow.

It was astonishing speed.

Leo greeted the elf kneeling before him.

“It’s been a while.”

“You remember me?”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t? Anias Vegs.”

“For the great God of Shadows to remember someone as insignificant as me, and even call me by name!”

Anias lifted her head, covered her mouth with both hands, and her face filled with emotion.

“Ah! My God. My great and noble God. The God who remembers even my insignificant name. Ah, my heart is beating so hard I think I might die. Pant! Pant!”

'I knew she was a little crazy, but it seems she’s gotten worse.'

“How can your ruby-like eyes contain such noble and virtuous light? Even the existence of your pure white hair seems to drive away darkness itself. Haa… haa…”

Catching her breath, Anias spoke in a trembling voice.

“My God. Would it be possible for you to grant me one small request?”

“What is it?”

“Please bestow upon me a single strand of your hair, plucked by your own hand.”

“What for?”

“I intend to make it a holy relic for the religion I created.”

“What?”

“Look. Even though I’m the only member right now, I still made this.”

The flyer Anias handed him had [Join the Church of Leo and Be Saved] written across it.

The back of the flyer was filled with Leo’s pictures.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

He could even sense madness radiating from it.

If left alone, she might formally establish the Church of Leo or whatever and start genuinely proselytizing.

Watching the dumbfounded Leo, Anias said,

“And I’ve also compiled a list of all those who have recently slandered you, my God. Soon, bloody retribution will…”

Anias’s ears fluttered like wings as she spoke with determination, both hands clenched tight.

“Anias Vegs.”

“Yes!”

“Don’t make things like this.”

“Pardon?”

“The Justice Guild I’m trying to deal with right now is basically a pseudo-religious group. I can’t become the same as them, can I?”

“B-but unlike those fake religious bastards, our church actually has a real god, doesn’t it?”

To that, Leo answered flatly,

“Why would I be a god? I’m human. I’ll say it again. Don’t do it.”

“If Lord Leo says so, then I have no choice.”

Anias’s ears drooped.

Seeing her look as though she had lost all reason to live, Leo briefly wondered if he should comfort her.

“Still, Lord Leo. Could you at least give me one strand of hair?”

“Why?”

“To add to my collection.”

'That concern was pointless.'

Leo decided to completely ignore Anias, who had instantly proven his concern meaningless.

“Anias, do you know about the Orphan Soldiers Duke Dotarn was raising?”

“Yes. You mean the ones where he gathered orphans, trained them into soldiers, and turned them into his private army, right? I heard that not long ago, Crown Prince Jeremin transferred the Orphan Soldiers under Duke Dotarn’s command to his own.”

As expected of a Shadow, she was thoroughly informed about the northeastern region.

“Then do you also know that those Orphan Soldiers are connected to Tartarus?”

At those words, the color drained from Anias’s face.

“Is Duke Dotarn a pawn of Tartarus?”

Leo shook his head at Anias, whose voice had turned chilling.

“No. That fool probably doesn’t even know he’s being used.”

Judging from Anias’s reaction, it was clear she had considered the Orphan Soldiers insignificant.

The military strength of the Orphan Soldiers was immense.

It was by no means a force that should exist in a small kingdom.

'If they mature further and take the form of a knight order rather than mere foot soldiers, they’ll be strong enough to alter the balance of the northeastern continent.'

The fact that Anias had paid so little attention to a group with that much combat power meant that their existence had been perfectly concealed.

'That bastard Atkan is more than capable of pulling that off.'

“Unleash the Shadows and investigate Duke Dotarn thoroughly.”

“If we confirm Tartarus’s presence, shall we begin the hunt?”

“No. Report to me. If you touch them carelessly, our side will also suffer heavy losses.”

“Lord Leo, do you know the identity of the Demon hiding in this country?”

“It’s most likely Atkan, the Archduke of Funeral.”

At the mention of such a monstrous name, Anias’s shoulders twitched.

“Move cautiously. He’ll be wary of us too.”

“Understood.”

As the right-hand man of Death King Hell Kaiser, Atkan would know that Leo was the reincarnation of the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.

'The moment I came to this country and saw the Orphan Soldiers, he must’ve expected I would notice his presence.'

And yet Atkan had not left this country.

'He’s probably trying to accurately gauge the extent of my power right now.'

“Lord Leo. What about the Justice Guild?”

Anias asked.

“There’s no way the Shadows were unaware of the Justice Guild. How has the Shadows’ side judged the Justice Guild until now?”

“There were differing opinions.”

Anias narrowed her eyes.

“They’ve gained notoriety for inciting wars in conflict zones not only in the northeast, but all over the world.”

“And yet the reason the Shadows left them alone was because they were neither traitors nor enemies?”

“Yes.”

Anias avoided Leo’s gaze.

“The Shadows intervene only in matters related to Tartarus. Even those who have seen through their true nature are turning a blind eye to their actions.”

The process through which the Justice Guild expanded its influence was simple.

They appeared in regions with frequent conflict and escalated the wars.

Then they stepped in to resolve those conflicts and were praised by the victims of war as though they had established justice.

That was how they expanded their power.

And the reason those who saw through their true nature tolerated them was because the Justice Guild’s blade was not pointed at them.

“The Justice Guild is also among the most active in the fight against Tartarus.”

The blade of the Justice Guild was not pointed at them.

On the contrary, they acted as a shield in the fight against Tartarus and sometimes even handled dirty work for them.

It was because of this alignment of interests that the Justice Guild had survived until now.

Even those who opposed the Justice Guild could not move against them recklessly.

At present, the world lacked a central figure capable of uniting everyone’s objectives into a single direction.

'As long as interests are tangled together, it’ll turn into a civil war. And that would be exactly what Tartarus wants most. But…'

Now that he knew their true nature, Leo had no intention of turning a blind eye.

“Are you planning to deal with the Justice Guild?”

“Yes.”

“Shall I summon the Shadows?”

“No.”

Leo shook his head.

“If the Shadows get involved, their already poor reputation will only grow worse.”

No matter what anyone said, the Justice Guild was still a group that publicly advocated justice.

If such people were erased, it would only give rise to new misunderstandings.

Just before summer break, Melina’s declaration had elevated the Shadows to a position equal to that of heroes.

But even with the Dragon Lord’s declaration, public perception would not change so easily.

“From now on, it depends on what you all do.”

“On what we do?”

“Yes. I want the word ‘Shadow’ to disappear.”

“Pardon?”

“Anyone who fights for the world is a hero. You are all more than qualified to be called heroes. So I want to create a world where you are called heroes, not Shadows.”

“Lord Leo…”

Anias covered her mouth, her face filled with emotion.

“To think you were dreaming of such a world… To think you had been formulating such a grand vision…”

Overcome with emotion, Anias clasped her hands together and assumed a prayer-like posture toward Leo.

“Please allow me to serve you as my god.”

“Absolutely not.”

Just as Leo was scowling—

Swoosh!

An elf emerged from the shadow of a tree.

Anias’s face immediately turned expressionless.

“What is it?”

“A report.”

The Shadow bowed his head, urgency written all over his face.

“A large-scale battle has broken out on the border between the Kingdom of Carnel and the Kingdom of Pettiman.”

“Did the army of the Kingdom of Pettiman launch a full-scale attack?”

As Leo stood and asked, the Shadow quickly shook his head.

“No. A single individual attacked the army of the Kingdom of Pettiman, and the Justice Guild has responded.”

“If the Justice Guild has moved, that person must be an extraordinary powerhouse. Who is it?”

At Anias’s words, the Shadow hesitated before answering.

“The individual currently fighting the Justice Guild is presumed to be the Iron-Blooded Sorcerer.”

Anias’s face hardened.

“The Iron-Blooded Sorcerer…? Tiar?”

It wasn’t only Anias whose expression hardened.

Leo’s face also stiffened.

It was a name Leo had also seen in textbooks.

The elven hero, the Iron-Blooded Sorcerer, Tiar.

A great hero who had rendered distinguished service in the war against Tartarus.

However, she was also a hero ostracized among the elves for creating excessively cruel magic through Star Magic.

And the period when the Iron-Blooded Sorcerer was active was…

'A hero from 1,000 years ago.'

Leo felt that the worst-case scenario he had imagined had become reality.

'The Death King. That bastard is resurrecting heroes as Undead.'

***

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